Desk



April 29 v1924. f- I 1,491,781

J. L.` AXEN DESK , Filed April 1o i922 sheetsfsheet 1 April 29', 1924.

DESK

' Filed April 1o 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.'

Patented Apr. 219, 1924.

UNITED STAT-Es JOHN L. AKEN, OF ('JHICAGQL ILLINOIS.'

.application mea apra 10,1922. serial No. 550,960.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. AXEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at'Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the' following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in desks, and especiallyT to the type of desks used for typewriters.

One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide any improved extensible shelf to support a typewriter, normally located 1n a suitable cabinetv of the desk, sufficiently removed from the top thereof to provide space for the typewriterthereabove, and which is movable outwardly and upwardly thru the arc of a circle, to locate the typewriter outside of the cabinet and sutliciently elevated for convenience of manipulation.

Another object is to provide means toprevent transverse inclination of the shelf, especially duringthe cycle `of its movement.

Another object is to provide springs shiftable and so arranged as to assist in the movement of the shelf in both directions and to hold the shelf against stops at the end of such movements.

A further object is to provide an. 11n'- proved automatic latch to positively hold the shelf in evelated position and accessible means near the front end of theshelf to release the latch.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will readily appearfrom a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a section taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 3 showing the shelf located in the cabinet.

Fig. 2 is asimilar section showing the shelf in extended'and in elevated position and showing, in broken lines, the shelf in an intermediate position.A

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of ig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the shelf and a section of the cabinet taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

I1 the drawings 5 is a desk having a cabinet chamber 6 surrounded on three sides by the top 7, the bask 8 and the bottom 9, and

suitable side walls 10 and 11. The opening 6 may be closed by a suitable door. The shelf 12 is normally contained in the cabinet 6, as more clearly shown in Fig. l. It is movable outwardly and upwardly, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. In moving the Ashelf fr om its inward and depressed position to its outward and most elevated position, it is moved in a path defined by the arc of a circle, as shown at 13 and 14, which is more than degrees, and it is always maintained in parallel, horizontal planes.

Two bell cranks 15 and v16 are pivoted to the shelf, the first to a mid-portion, as at 17, and theother, at the rear end as at 18. There.

are two of these bell cranks, one on each side and opposite each ov er, indicated at 15-15 and 16-16, respectively. The longer arms 19 and 2O of the'bell cranks permit' the shelf to occupy a position in the lower portion ot' the cabinet suiiiciently below the top 7 to provide'roo-m or space above the shelf for me accommodation of the typewriter that is to normally rest on the upper surface of the shelf andv near thefront end thereof. The shorter arms 21 and 22, Aat the juncture of the longer arms 19 and 20, of said bell cranks are pivoted to a fixed support 23 in spaced relation equivalent to thedistance of separation between-the longer arms 19 and 20 ,at the oints where they are pivoted to the shelfp 12. The ends of the shorter arms, 21 and 22, on each side of the structure, are pivotally connected to a link 24, the rear ends, 25, of which extend beyond the shorter arms 22 and 22. These ends are connected together by a transversely extending rod 26, which serves as a means for pivotally 'connecting a link 27 to each of the ends. A

transversely extending rod 28 is pivotcd to the side walls 10 and 11, as at 29 and 30, and is provided with arms 31 fixed thereto, to which the links 27 are pivoted, as at 33. The arms 31 and 32 are rigidly secured to the oscillating rod or shaft 2S, shown as parts thereof, so that any movement of one arm necessarily causesy a. corresponding movement ofthe other arm. These arms are connected to opposite sides of the shelf 12 by links 27, thru the projections 25 and the members 22 of the bell crank levers 16, more clearly shown in Fig. 2; therefore vertical side movement of the shelf is thereby prohibited and the shelf is at all times prevented from tipping.

The links 27 and 33'tend at all times to hold and maintain the shelf level and prevent its transverse inclination. Secured between the rods 26 and 28 are a pair of springs 34. These springs hold the rear end of the shelf 12 in contact with a fixed stop to prevent the rear end thereof'gfrom rising above the point at which 1t 1s heldby the stop due to the weight of thetypewriter on the front end of the shelf. lThe arrangement of the springs is such that they assist in lifting the shelf upwardly after it has passed a certain point in i-ts excursion and when shifted they also tend to'bring the shelf downwardly and to hold it against the sto yieldingly held by the springs against the effect of the latch, which provides the upper stop and which will now be more fully explained.

Nea-r the front edge 36, ofthe shelf 12, and parallel therewith is a blade spring 37, secured at its ends, as at 38, and extending across an opening 39. It i-s also secured to a longitudinally extending and shiftable bar 40, which has a downturned angular end 41 to which the spring blade is connected. Cleats 42 hold the bar to -the underside of the shelf 12 and permit its axial movement.

Connectdto the inner end of the bar are a'pair of links 43, each slotted, as at 44,

' and pivoted as at 45. The spring blade 37 normally holds the links in coaxial relation,

las more clearly shown in Fig. 4. Onthe face of each of the posts l46, bounding the' front opening of the cabinet 6, are striking plates 47. When the shelf 12 is raised one edge of the links 43 will bear against the inner edge of the striking plate 47 and against the tension of the spring blade 37, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4, and they will snap into the opening above the strikin platesfr he outer ends of the links 43 are supported by elongated clips 43 to permi-t some lateral motion of the links. The latch provides a positive stop for the upper position of the shelf12. The dotted lines in Fig. 4 show positions of the parts just prior to the time when the links 43 will automatically snap into the opening above the striking plates 47. When it is desired'to open the latch, so that the shelf 12 may be depressed, the finger of the operator engages the blade 37 and moves it toward the edge y36, thereby moving the links 43 into dotted line 'osition, so that they will become free of t e striking plates, whereupon slight pressure to the shelf will start it on its down- 35. ln its upward movement it is recarsi ward movement to the position shown in Vhile l have herein shown a single embodiment for the purpose of clear disclosure, it will be manifest to persons skilled in the art, that many changes may be made in the general arrangement and configuration of the parts within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. ln combination a desk providing an open end cabinet; a shelf for swinging move-- ment outwardly andinwardly of the cabinet; two pairs of like, spaced, bell-crank levers, each lever having a relatively long arm and a short arm, with its vertex pivoted to the side walls of the'cabinet and the long arms pivoted to the respectivey sides of the shelf, said long arms adapted and arranged to swing the shelf from its extreme inner position Ito its eXtreme outer, elevated position; a pair' of links, one on each side of the shelf, pivotally connected to the short arms of the respective levers and extending' rearwardly beyond the inner short arms; a pair of rigidly connected together spaced arms pivotally supported by the cabinet; a bar rigidly connecting said arms together a pair of links pivotally connected to said arms, respectively, at one of their ends, their other ends pivotally connected to the aforesaid link extensions and a bar rigidl connecting said links together, its ends a Ording pivotal support for said link extensions, and@- movable projecting ends to overlie said respective plates to support the shelf; a bar pivoted to proximate ends of said links extending toward the front of the shelf movable axially to'move said extended link ends Vlaterally from above said plate-s and a springto yieldingly hold said links in substantial ali nment. f n testimony whereof scribed my name. y

" JOHN AXEN.

I hereunto sub- 

